Make It Safe Coalition Support Letter: Olympic Whistleblower Protection Amendment

Olympic Whistleblower Bill Support Letter

November 13, 2019

The Honorable Charles Grassley
Chairman
Committee on Finance
United States Senate
219 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Gary Peters
Ranking Member
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
United States Senate
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Peters:

The undersigned leadership of the Make It Safe Coalition thanks you for your leadership on an amendment to the Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019 (S. 2330), to protect abuse victims in the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics from retaliation. The Make It Safe Coalition is a non-partisan whistleblower advocacy network whose members pursue a wide variety of missions that span defense, homeland security, medical and pharmaceutical safety, natural disasters, scientific integrity, constitutional rights, consumer hazards, and corruption in government contracting and procurement. We are united in the cause of protecting those who honor their duties to serve and warn the public.

This legislation would amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C. § 220501(b), to include protections from retaliation for certain individuals who report abuse or harassment in amateur sports. Specifically, it requires: the U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center) to establish mechanisms for the reporting, investigation, and resolution of retaliation claims; disciplinary action for retaliators; whistleblower remedies, including reinstatement and compensatory damages; access to a jury trial to challenge retaliation, if the Center has not issued a final decision within 180 days; the burden of proof established in the Whistleblower Protection Act; the option for review by a U.S. Court of Appeals, and; “anti-gag” protections against any employment agreement or policy.

This legislation reflects best practice whistleblower protections and it should be advanced without delay. Thank you for your leadership on this legislation. We look forward to continuing to work with your offices to advance this important measure.

Sincerely,

ACORN8

Government Accountability Project

Project On Government Oversight

Public Citizen

Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Whistleblowers of America